More Than Just A Ghost
by PotterGirl412
Summary: About a month in to her third year at Hogwarts, a girl named Piper Shay meets a mysterious ghost. As time goes by, Piper becomes friends with Moaning Myrtle, the ghost who haunts the girls bathroom. There's always more beneath the surface, and soon Piper discovers the shocking truth about Myrtle's curse, and maybe, just maybe, she knows how to set her free.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hello my name is Eliza, and this is my third published story on ! This idea came to me while I was re-reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets one night (for the third time). I thought, "During all of the times Harry, Ron, and Hermione used the girls bathroom to make their polyjuice potion, not once did they stop by to say hi to Myrtle. She was just crying in the corner, so they didn't go near her. What would it take just to say hi to Moaning Myrtle or ask her how she is. It wouldn't have been THAT hard, and it would probably have made her feel better if they had". Now, to the point, this gave me the idea of someone who actually WAS Myrtle's friend, and so I decided to make that true by using FanFiction. I've been working on this story for a while now, because I write it in my writer's notebook for English class every day. I am quite proud of it and I would just LOVE it if you were to review when you're finished reading. Thank you! **

Chapter One: How It All Began

A set of brilliant green eyes gazed out the window in to the sky, dancing along the glistening, deep blue lake. The owner of those eyes, a girl named Piper, thought to herself, 'I wonder what kinds of magical creatures live in there. There's probably a whole, mystical world full of magic hidden from the Wizard's eye. After all, there's always more beneath the surface".

"You're homework tonight is to write a foot-long essay about Wendelin The Weird based on what you have learned over the summer and in class today", spoke Professor Binns, interrupting Piper's thoughts. Her head snapped in his direction. 'Yes! I remember Wendelin The Weird' thought Piper. A Gryffindor girl sitting two seats down shot up her hand. "Can we make it three feet?" she asked. Professor Binns paused for a moment, clearly shocked.

"If you find it absolutely necessary Miss… err…" he took a glance at the parchment in his pearly white hands. "-Granger." The girl smiled. Piper had so many thoughts in her head at that moment. She had to meet girl! Three feet, I guess it's not TOO impressive, but it was her personality that stood out among the rest of the class that made Piper want to get to know her. She seemed to have been zoned out, because when the bell rung she jumped in her seat.

She gathered her things and stood up. "Thank you Professor Binns!" Piper flashed a smile at him. "My pleasure Miss… ummm- Shal-"Piper had already left. When she hurried through the doors of the classroom, she found the girl talking to two other boys. Taking a deep breath, she tapped her on the shoulder. The girl turned around.

"Hello, my name is Piper" she started to speak then stopped. The girl had taken one look at her tie and scowled. She whipped her head back around and rudely muttered "Slytherin".

It had happened so quickly. Piper's head was spinning. Tears tried to break through her eyelashes. "_Slytherin"_ she thought. The words dug in to her like sharp nails. For a while she just stood there, staring don at her green and silver Hogwarts tie. With her heart thumping, she looked around. Everyone else must have gone off to his or her next class, because she was alone in the hall. She knew she shouldn't feel upset, that she was overreacting and shouldn't be so sensitive, but she couldn't help it. Piper turned and ran down a dark corridor. She stopped at what looked like a door, but she wasn't sure because her eyes were drowning in fresh tears.

She swung open the door and came face to face with a bathroom stall. 'Perfect, a bathroom' she thought. She locked the stall door behind her and plopped down on the toilet seat. "Why doesn't anyone like me? Is it because I'm Slytherin?" she said aloud before burying her face in her hands. "That's the third time someone has judged me since I arrived!"

"Hello?" said a faint voice coming from above her. Piper looked up and gasped. Hovering over the stall next to her was the ghost of a girl her age.

**A/N This chapter is a bit short, but thank you for reading it, I am posting the second chapter soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey! How are my readers? I've been okay. If you were thinking I've given up on this story you were wrong. Actually, it's not like anyone's reading this. Oh well. Talking to myself is okay… But a lot of people are following The Other Battle, which I have definitely not given up on. So for this story, I have three new chapters for ya! They're actually not new, since I wrote them in October. Please keep in mind that these beginning chapters are short and not that good, but they were my earlier self, so keep reading and better chapters will come along. By the way, my fan account on Instagram is PotterGirl412. Enjoy these chapters!**

The ghost looked as if she had just been crying. She was a sickly, blue color made out of a substance thick and silky. Piper's last class had been taught by a ghost, Professor Binns, but the girl above her looked nothing like her History of Magic teacher. Piper stood up on the toilet seat and leaned over the side of her stall. She was now facing the ghost girl. "Are you okay?" Piper asked. The girl's sobs seemed worn out, like something that's been used too much but you use it anyway. Like a shoelace.

"What's your name?" Piper asked curiously. "My name is Myrtle, but they call me Moaning Myrtle. Then they make fun of me for moaning. No wonder…" the girl replied, finishing her statement in a cry that seemed to be pain. "Oh I'm Piper" she paused. "Why are you upset?" "Well, how would you feel if you died in a bathroom and you'll never see you family again and everyone talks about you behind your back about how you're so willowy and sad all the time and if you even DARE to leave the bathroom Peeves bullies you to no end?" She ducked into the toilet. "And I just want to kill myself and end my pain but I can't because I'm already dead!"

"That's so terrible. I'm sorry. Well I guess I have no reason to complain compared to your situation" said Piper with sorrow. For a minute there, Myrtle's sobs came to a settle as she peeked out of the loo and raised an eyebrow at Piper. "Well this is my third year at Hogwarts and I have no friends. No one will even give me a chance because I'm a Slytherin. I've been locked up in prejudice in my own home. Today there was a girl who I thought could be my friend, but she wanted nothing to do with me because of my house!" "Hmmm…" said Myrtle. "I was in Ravenclaw when I was alive, but it doesn't matter what house you're in" That made Piper feel the teensiest bit better. "So, do you want to talk about your… you know…" Piper said cautiously, not wanting to upset Myrtle more than she was.

"I WAS ATTACKED!" Myrtle cried, and with that she started floating all around the room howling. She flew by all of the sinks turning each tap, and water was soon plummeting down every sink. "Right here, in this bathroom!" She once again dived into her toilet hole.

"I have to go to my next class now. It's nice meeting you. I'll come back tomorrow" said Piper politely. Myrtle looked surprised. "Promise?" she asked. "Promise" replied Piper smiling. She left the bathroom that way and throughout the rest of the day. As crazy as it was, Piper had just made a friend.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Once again please keep in mind these chapters were created a while ago and are not my best work **

For the next few weeks Piper would create time in her schedule to visit Myrtle in the girls' bathroom. She found out that Myrtle is actually quite interesting, though it may not seem like it at first glance. Myrtle would tell her stories about her school life when she was alive, stories about her being bullied by the other ghosts, and stories about other students using this abandoned bathroom for unusual purposes. She even told Piper about Harry Potter and his friends coming in last year to make potions. Piper was reminded of the girl who took one look at her and thought she was scum. 'Three feet?' she thought. 'That's not even that impressive! At least Myrtle didn't judge me like that'.

One rainy afternoon in the middle of October (after Hermione had kicked her down the stairs many times) Piper heard some strange news. "As some of you may know", spoke Professor McGonagall, "The whereabouts of the Azkaban fugitive Sirius Black, are still unknown. Students are not allowed to leave the castle. Quidditch will be postponed. Herbology classes will be held in the dungeons where Professor Sprout has transferred some plants. Care of Magical Creatures has been moved to room 208 on the second floor. NO student shall leave the building to go outside, or they shall risk being endured by the dark forces, not to mention detention. Any questions?"

Piper raised her hand. Behind her, Hermione snorted. _"Attention seeker"_ she whispered. Piper spoke. "Why will Herbology be held in the dungeons?" "Insulation" McGonagall replied. Piper's hand shot up again. "Why would he come here?" she asked. "Oh we can't be too careful. No specific reason listed" Professor McGonagall replied. "Is he familiar with the school?" asked Piper. By now they had forgotten about the rest of the class. McGonogall's eyes were wide and strictly staring at Piper. The only other sound heard was the snorting of Hermione as Piper asked a question. "Well-" "Did he go here?" Silence struck the room. Not a single sound was muttered.

"Class is dismissed!" boomed the Professor, her eyes still glued to Piper. "But the bell didn't ring yet" chirped a Hufflepuff in the back. "I said class is dismissed!" Not a soul dared to compete with her, so they all shuffled humbly into the hall. "Um, where do we go now?" Everyone turned to Piper. She raised her hands in the air (well, the best she could while holding her books and parchment). "What did I do?" she whisper-yelled. Hermione Granger rolled her eyes and turned away. "I bet she just asked all those questions to get points for Slytherin" she muttered over her shoulder. Hermione had been pushing her luck a little but over the breaking point, for what Piper did next left the rest of the class flabbergasted.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Piper shouted, angrily storming her way to a weak looking Hermione. "YOU LITTLE BRAT! JUDGING ME BY A TIE, SAYING THINGS BEHIND MY BACK, ROLLING YOUR EYES AT ME! DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE NO ONE TALK TO YOU BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OF? I DON'T THINK YOU FREAKING DO!" "But-" Hermione started, but it was no use. Piper cut her off. "NO, YOU DON'T GET TO SAY ANYTHING RIGHT NOW! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU. DON'T EVEN POINT YOUR LITTLE SNEER AT ME ANYMORE! I'M SICK OF YOU. GOOD. FREAKING. BYE!"

Leaving Hermione dumbstruck, Piper sailed off to the library with her head held high.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello! I know I know this story hasn't been updated in FOREVER, but I wrote a whole bunch of chapters and I'm going to post them all today. The more I read fanfiction the more I feel bad about not updating and the more I want to update so I'm going to try. Anyway I'm going to post the author's notes at the bottom from now on (or at least the long ones) so people read it. Enjoy chapter 4!**

"I'm telling you, she was just asking for it! I mean, she's obviously acting this so that I'll ask why she doesn't like me and then I'll apologize, and ask her to be friends. Who does she think she is? She wanted me to react in a way that makes me want to be her best friend but do you know what? She can't control me! So I didn't give her what she wanted!"

Piper was in the bathroom ranting to Myrtle who, in turn, giggled. "Hee hee! I never liked her…" Followed by a big sigh, Piper smiled. "I showed her…" They were both off in their own little fantasies, Myrtle was daydreaming about Hermione's embarrassed face, and Piper was replaying the moment over and over again in her head. "They were in here often last year" Myrtle eventually broke the sweet, imaginative silence. "Who's 'they'?" asked Piper. "Her and her two boyfriends!"

"Really? What did they do?"

" Oh they were making a potion. They even flooded my bathroom! Word is that those three cause trouble everywhere. I hear that they're rummaging their noses in the business of…." She hushed her voice to a whisper and looked around judiciously. "…_Sirius Black!"_ Myrtle gasped and spiraled down into the toilet as if she had said too much. Piper was left standing there, her mood flickering back and forth. The interesting news gave a nudge to her curiosity, while at the same time she was still half stuck in the replaying of Hermione's red cheeks. "A few years after I… Well you know…. _Died, _him and his friends arrived at Hogwarts. They were real troublemakers those four" Myrtle started. "They would bully me! Laugh at me! Call me a freak." She whimpered before bursting free a fresh set of tears. Piper pushed opened the stall door and sympathetically crouched down next to the emotional girl in front of her.

She put her hand on Myrtle's back, attempting to pat her comfortingly, but Piper's wrist floppily swung right through her. "He was here!" Myrtle exploded with buckets of random energy, surprising Piper.

Just then, a stern cry rang throughout the halls, chilling Piper to the bone. "PIPER SHAY!" She tiptoed over to the door, opening it the slightest crack. She knew what was coming. Professor McGonagall stormed down the hall, her face white with rage. The back of her robe sailed behind her, one foot above the ground.

"PIPER SHAY! You come her right this very second!" Myrtle hovered above her friend, her head poking over the door. If she were alive, she would have been breathing all over Piper, who gulped as if she were a guilty child in a cliché movie. She whipped around and stood tight against the wall, her back enclosing any loose air. The door flung open, smacking Piper square in the face. White-hot pain shot through to the back of her head, throbbing so loudly that she couldn't hear the screaming of the head of Gryffindor House.

"NEVER before in my entire teaching career have I seen such atrocious behavior from a student like that! Piper Shay I am shocked and ashamed at your outburst, you just wait until Professor Dumbledore hears about this!"

But by then, Piper was unconscious.

**A/N: Thanks so so much for reading, I know this was a super short chapter but they get longer (I think). So I have a theory that this story will be read more than my other one: ****The Other Battle****. That one I will finish, and I have great plans for it, and I personally like it better, but it's a crossover, and they don't get read as much. I would love it if people were to read and enjoy my stories, not for me but for you, because I love fanfiction and want other people to love it too. So thank you so so much for reading if you want to leave a review it would be greatly appreciated though you don't have to.**


	5. Chapter 5

When Piper woke up she was in an unfamiliar room. Damp air emanated from the desk in front of her, giving the illusion of glowing dark wood. Like a vampire, Professor Snape stood in front of her. His hands were crossed in front of his murky black cloak, and not a single muscle twitched. Piper wondered if she could tip him over and his body fall flat like a plank. In fact, she waddled on over behind the desk and held her finger out inches away the professor's arm. "What do you think you're doing Ms. Shay". He said it robotically, making Piper turn 50 shades of red.

At least she thought she did. Her mind was clumsily spinning in circles, disabling her ability to decipher fantasy from reality. "Ms. Shay" he spoke. "Whuu? Whyemmihere?" her mouth was stiff. "Professor McGonagall informed me of your incident, and will be holding your detention." Piper was looking around, and had noticed there were no windows in the gloomy little closet. "Your punishment would usually form in the deduction of a Hogsmeade visit," he rhythmically stepped around the desk towards Piper. "But, since you're in my house," he paused, placing his feet down and standing upright. "I'm willing to make, an exception. Madam Pince and I have made a little agreement. She needs help in the library organizing books. Every Tuesday and Thursday during Study Hall you are to work up there, following the Madam's every order. You will continue to do so for the rest of term. Understood?"

Piper gave a meek nod and exited the office.

"So I have to give up my entire study hall to sort through books!" When Piper said it aloud, it didn't sound too bad. In fact, it would have been just what she wanted before she came to Hogwarts. "Well at least I get to go to Hogsmeade…" Moaning Myrtle sighed dreamily and drearily. "I wish I could go to Hogsmeade"

Later that day Piper sat alone at dinner in the Great Hall. Looking to her right she spotted Draco, a tough boy in her year who was obsessed with Harry Potter. Or, he talked about him all the time. "Did you see Potter showing off his new "special" broom? The sender must have taken pity on him. My father would have bought me that broom, but I don't want it, which is the only reason why it's not mine… His poor Weasel friend took a ride. I'll bet you that broom costs more than his whole family's house!" he sneered to his meaty friends Crabbe and Doyle. Piper sighed and looked towards the entrance hall. She watched as Hermione and her two friends entered in the middle of a heated discussion. Then, Hermione's eyes caught Piper's. Piper didn't look down. She had nothing to be ashamed of. She thought for a second that her vision must have been impaired, for Hermione was walking in her direction.

"Hello", said Hermione humbly. Piper didn't blink. "I'm sorry." There was a pause. Hermione continued. "I was rather unfair to you, and over something that I realize now that you can't help. I pushed you, I sneered, I-" "I know what you did" Piper replied flatly. "Anyway, I hope you'll accept my apology. I deserved every bit of you-" she paused to search for the right phrase. "Words". The bitter look on Piper's face loosened at the adequate apology. She even stifled a smile.

"Alright" said Piper. She didn't really want anything more. "See you in potions.

Now, Piper had read enough books to know how this went. Hermione would apologize, and Piper would forgive her and forget everything that Hermione ever did, and they would become best friends and live happily ever after. She would NOT let herself get caught up in predictable and cliché plots. No. That wasn't how she rolled. She did feel a little bit pleased and warm inside, but she wasn't going to love her from there on out.

"And she apologized! Just like that!" Piper beamed at Myrtle. She didn't day anything. "I just wanted her to realize how horrible she was". Myrtle gave a partial duck down under her stall. "That's nice" "Yeah it was! I mean, she's pretty smart actually." Myrtle's throat tightened up. Her voice sounded like one very unlike hers. She dropped down an inch. "I have potions with her tomorrow morning!" "That's good. Piper, I-" "I wonder what her friends are like!" "Today I visited the Gryffindor bathroom and-" But whatever happened in the Gryffindor bathrooms got drowned out by Piper's talks about Hermione. This time though, they weren't about how rude she was, or how many times she kicked piper in the hall. They were indeed, positive. "Okay, I know what you're thinking, but I won't completely give in to her apology. I can just admire her for now." She tried to make herself mad at Hermione again, but it wasn't easy. "Piper-" "Oh! I must go now! We have Care Of Magical Creatures!" Piper exclaimed excitedly. And with that she ran out the door. "Bye…" Myrtle said weakly. Piper didn't come back that week.

**A/N: Again SUPER short chapter I know I know, but I'm going to make them longer. These chapters were written last year so things will change. Thank you so much for reading! The next chapter should be up soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione and Piper were not automatically best friends after that, though the sneering had subsided. It was amazing how much of a difference it made when a tormenter apologized. It certainly made Piper feel loads better. For a week or two, Piper was keeping up with her school work, organizing books in the library, and at the same time, watching Hermione in classes so she could excel just like her. Then one day after double-potions Hermione jogged to catch up with Piper. Her footsteps echoed in the large and open dungeons, harmonizing with her heavy breaths.

"Um," she said between breaths. "Hi." Piper stared, then immediately regretted it. "Hi…" "Um," started Hermione. "Well with mid-term exams coming up, I er- kind of need to study" Piper stifled a grin. Hermione Granger? Study? Her head was practically the library. "Anyways, would you, er, want to study together maybe? This afternoon perhaps?" Piper again felt a slicker of warmth somewhere inside of her. For a moment she was about to agree, but that feeling was soon iced over when she remembered. Today was Tuesday.

"Oh dear, I'd love to, but I, um, I have to do a job in the library this afternoon for Madam Pince" she finally said. Hermione fell silent, as if lost for words. Then, her gaze grew distant. "Oh. I see" She scurried on up the steps leaving Piper standing there dumbfounded. She took in a deep breath, then let it out. "Well? Password?" sneered the door behind her. She sighed. "Friendship is blood-deep" she mumbled, as the door to the Slytherin common room unlatched and swung open.

After an hour of hopelessly trying to transfigurate a chushion into a biscuit tin, Piper thought of theonly person she could go to. Well, she shouldn't really say person….

She hadn't been down that corridor in weeks. When she approached the bathroom door, hushed weeping arose. Piper inched the wood open and looked straight ahead at the toilet stalls. "Myrtle?" she asked. Myrtle inhaled before responding with a meek "hi." "What's wrong?" The atmosphere loomed with a salient awkwardness. Myrtle's eyebrows furrowed and her jaw quivered. Then, she continued crying.

"Wow" she choked, and rotated her shiny gray body in the other direction. Piper felt the need to defend herself.

"What are you even doing here?"

"Well, I was GOING to talk to you about what just happened with Hermione, but-" The second the name emerged from her lips Myrtle shot up and squeezed her mouth at tightly as Professor McGonagall's. "_Excuse me,_ but please enlighten me as to the time that you were last in here. Piper's face went hot out of both embarrassment and anger. "Oh yeah? Well it's not my fault that _you _can't come to_ me! _It's not my fault that you can't get off your lazy bum and dig out from your pity party to at least TRY to come out of your gloomy little bathroom and come hang out with_ me _for a change!

The words came tumbling out as if she were throwing up small blocks. She had gone too far, and even Piper knew it. Her words had struck a chord with Myrtle, which was why she had to choose her next ones very carefully. "Oh myrtle, I-" but Myrtle screamed and slammed her hands over her ears. With tears that glistened like a river flowing down her face and chokes and sobs, she curled up into a ball. Piper's thumping heart broke.

She watched Myrtle screaming and saw a tortured, abused, and broken girl. It made Piper grip her mouth while her face heated up even more. For a full minute she stood there, frozen. Only it didn't feel like she was frozen. It felt like she was slowly being burned, her throat was swelling up, her eyes were growing hot with tears, and it felt like her head was on the verge of turning to liquid. She held her breath. She could not breathe. "STOP!" Myrtle screamed. She looked so beat up and raw.

Her knuckles shook more intensely the harder they grabbed and pushed on her ears. "Stop Olive…"

"I'm so sorry" Piper whispered through her fingers. What just happened had been a part of her that she always wished wasn't there. When Piper got very mad, she tended to explode on people. She had always hated it. A flame ignited in her stomach, the kind that licked up your ribs and cut off your vocal chords, resulting in the even greater desire to scream. But this anger was different. It wasn't directed to those who provoked her. She was angry at herself. She hated, hated, hated it. She ended up hurting the one that she loved. Her friend, the only one that was there for her when she needed one. She hurt the one being she truly cared about, the one who cared about her. "I'm so sorry…" she repeated.

This girl in front of her had gone through torment, taunts, and teases all her life. She had been squeezed out, and just when all she was was a dried up soul she was strangled and stomped on some more. Myrtle was just a helpless creature. Like Piper had noticed before: tortured, abused, and broken.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard from the hallway. Then more, then more. They grew louder and grander each second. "Move along, move along!" It was a deep female voice that Piper had never heard before, and it was speaking very frantically. Whispers rose among the footsteps. "_Sirius Black?"_ someone whispered. "_In the building?"_ another replied. Piper's eyes widened, but she was till unable to move. Apparently, Myrtle heard things too, for her cries grew faint. She looked so tired. "All students into the Great Hall NOW!" boomed the same loud voice. People all the way down the hall shrieked, followed by softer screams and ruffling chaos. "Sirius Black!" called a very far-away voice. Piper remembered what Professor McGonagall had said in the beginning of October, how she announced the safety measures the school was going to ensure that Sirius Black did not enter the building. She thought of the disturbed and shocked look in McGonagall's eye when she talked about the prisoner.

He sounded dangerous.

But then Piper's eyes shifted to focus on Myrtle, all curled up on the cold marble floor. She couldn't leave her like this.

And her legs literally couldn't. She was rooted to the bathroom tiles. "Go on then. Go," Myrtle whimpered. "No" Piper replied. Myrtle slowly lifted her head and met Piper's eyes. Her own were large, shiny, and watery, just like a puppy's. Piper stole a look around and glanced at one of the ancient marble sinks. As the voices outside grew softly into nothingness, she plopped herself onto it, put her hands in her lap, and breathed.

**A/N: I'm pretty proud of this chapter! I don't know if it's better than the others but I think it might be. Okay, it definitely is. So now this is the last of the pre-written chapters, which means that the next chapters I will write on the spot. Thank you so much for reading, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and the next one should be up in the next two days? It might be more because I'm writing a few fanfics at the same time. Thank you, and goodbye!**


	7. Chapter 7

"M-myrtle…?" piper's lips quivered. The ghost didn't say anything. "I know what you've been through… I- I understand…" "Do you really?" Myrtle's fingers loosened around her ears, which Piper guessed would be bright red if she were alive. The question wasn't actually a question. More like a retort. Or however she meant it, it was not about to open up any heart-felt conversation. And Piper had said it so that Myrtle might loosen up, and maybe part of her had believed it. But looking now at this mentally and emotionally beaten girl she realized that she did not. Imagine being bullied all your life, with no one to go to except an empty bathroom. Imagine being taunted, backstabbed, teased, pushed around, thrown down stairs, beaten up, tormented, and even blackmailed all your life. Then, imagine going to the bathroom one day to cry like you have for the past 4 years and then getting killed by a giant snake, and being stuck in the bathroom, your prison of scarring memories, for the rest of eternity. And still the bullying and the loneliness don't stop.

Wow. "I guess I don't," said Piper. "I may never understand what you have gone through or feel the things you've felt or walked in your shoes." The talking had stopped, and they were both just thinking. "Don't th-thhink I've forgiven you" Myrtle shuddered. Piper sighed like she had done so often recently. She hadn't expected her to. "It was a very rotten thing to say to someone. Someone I thought was your friend." "Oh Myrtle you are my friend!" No reply.

So they just sat there. In the cold bathroom. While the rest of the school was in the Great Hall safely hidden from a fugitive of Azkaban who has come to their school. It wasn't the perfect scene, but they were together.

Piper wondered if the Professors had noticed she was gone yet. They probably would soon, but she didn't care.

"So what's your favorite color?" Piper asked, out of the blue. After a few moments, she heard a soft "What?" "Your favorite color. Purple? Blue? Green?" "You're just t-trying to-to change the subject…" muttered Myrtle. "Oh I'm just wondering. Honest." Myrtle gave a _hmpff_ and didn't say anything. Piper didn't know if she would answer or not, but she gave her the chance. She counted all the windows in the room. There were 8, 6 up on the ledge, and 2 looking out the tower. They were too dusty to see through though. There were 6 stalls. 7 sinks (6 around the pillar, and 1 at the side). 2 doors. 4 mirrors. 12 lights. 6 _working _lights. 1- "Purple". Piper stared, wide-eyed. "I like purple." Myrtle was staring up in to one of the lights on the ceiling. "Oh… purple's… pretty" Then, after a few seconds, "I like green." She hadn't really thought about her own favorite color, but come to think of it it _was _green. Maybe because of her tie and her robes that she wore every day. But she thought it suited her. "What color eyes did you have?" Piper asked gently, she wanted to be careful when approaching the topic of Myrtle being deceased. "I had green eyes," she said. "Just like you".

A leak had opened somewhere in the ceiling, starting a light tapping noise. "I miss colors…" _Drip, drip, drip. _"Can you not see them?" Piper asked, but immediately saw that it was a silly question. "Oh I can see, it's just that my bathroom is so… plain. Colorless." Her voice was beginning to ease up, but when she flicked her eyes to Piper she hunched down a little more and looked away. Piper felt guilty. And hatred. She crossed her arms over her chest as if to protect her from herself. _Drip, drip, drip. _Piper stood up and turned on the tap. She covered her hand in water then walked to the windows. Myrtle was watching her. "What are you doing?" she asked, but regretted it and shrunk away. Piper hated that Myrtle couldn't bare to look at her. She felt so ashamed. Her hand met the cool glass, and she wiped it in a circle. The dust blew away, allowing her to look out. She saw the lake. And, well, dementors, but the lake was pretty. "I say, what do you think is in that lake?" she asked curiously. "I've been flushed down there a few times, to the bottom. This made Piper excited. "Will you tell me? Oh please, I've been dying to know." 'Oops' she thought. She winced and expected Myrtle to start crying. She probably shouldn't have used that term. But, shockingly, Myrtle remained calm. But that didn't mean she said anything. "Oh please?" Again, nothing.

"There are Merpeople".

'Oh good' Piper thought. 'Like the kind I've read in books!' But it was as if Myrtle read her mind.

"But no like mermaids. These creatures are not kind. They have wild hair, sharp teeth, and pointy objects"

"What else?" Piper asked. Myrtle let out a breath.

"There's a large squid, VERY large. He scares me."

Myrtle turned in to Piper a bit, getting swept away thinking about the wonders of the deep lake. "And there are all sorts of plants".

"Like what, for example?"

"Oh, slimy ones. Wavy ones. Scabrous ones. Some very pointy, and some very smooth. I've always wondered if any of the do anything once eaten"

Piper giggled. She had always been fascinated by the possibility of the creatures that loomed in the water. Myrtle had been too, though she had no one to tell. "Oh, and I mustn't forget about the Grindylows!"

"The Grindylows?"

"They're these rather ugly squid-like things" said Myrtle.

"Eww, what do they look like?"

The dripping had stopped. Or at least, they didn't hear it. "They look like a mix between a baby and a squid. And they're fat" Piper laughed. She had never met this Myrtle, the humorous one. She wondered what she had been like back when she was alive and had friends. "I'd like to know more about Grindylows…"

Suddenly the lights flickered. "Does that happen often?" Piper asked. Myrtle gazed up. "Not really, no." "Do you think it's… _him?"_

There was silence. "I'm trying to imagine him in the basement pulling at the light switches for fun." Said Myrtle. Again, Piper laughed. She thought of a mad-man grabbing wires and yanking them out of the machines in the deep underground of the school, laughing diabolically. "Scandalous" Piper thought aloud. She hadn't meant to say it, but it made Myrtle give off a small smile.

"Do you think it's actually him?" "I… can't be sure" replied Myrtle. The light shut out. "When I was little, we used to have power outages at my house. I always thought they were fun. I would take my blankets upstairs to the attic and my brother and I would play a game." Piper paused. "What's your brother like?" Myrtle asked. "He's old now, 20. He works as a referee for Quidditch. He could never play himself, with his fear of heights. But he loved the sport." "Good for him" Myrtle said. "What was his name?" Piper hesitated. "Peter," she answered. Myrtle grinned. "Peter Piper?" "Don't laugh!" cried Piper, but she was chuckling herself. "I won't, I won't" she promised, keeping a straight face. But her eyes held mischief. Piper rolled her eyes. "Do you ever miss him?" she asked, the glee rolling off her face, replaced by a somewhat serious expression. "Yeah sometimes it gets lonely…" "I'm sorry" Myrtle empathized. Piper bolted up. "Don't YOU be sorry! I'm the one who should be sorry! I- I mean, I'm the one who IS sorry!" Myrtle looked away but didn't say anything. Clearly it wasn't time to go back to that topic.

"Um," Piper started, "did you have any siblings?" Myrtle let out a breath and floated up to the high windowsills. Piper was shocked. It was the most movement she'd made in half an hour. She sat down and gazed solemnly out the window. Piper was silent, waiting for her to respond. She understood that Myrtle held the power of when silence would come and when chatter would come today. It was only fair. "No."

"Oh."

It was starting to drizzle outside. Piper could see it through her little hole in the glass. _Drip, drip, drip._ "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"PIPER SHAY!" a voice cried, making both the girls jump. "I guess they've noticed" Myrtle said, averting her eyes from the window. "PIPER SHAY, YOU COME HERE RIGHT NOW!" Piper laughed at the déjà vu. Someone (most likely Professor McGonagall) was storming down the hall for her. Piper panicked. She didn't want to leave myrtle. Quickly she looked around and remembered, _2 doors._ One was the entrance to the bathroom, and the other was w wooden door to the side of the sinks. It was most likely a storage cabinet. She sprinted towards the second door. "PIPER SHAY YOU GAVE US A FRIGHT! COME HERE RIGHT NOW!" Piper closed the door behind her and prayed that the Professor wouldn't check the closet. She bumped into something and gasped just as it hit the ground. She heard a smack and stood rooted to her spot.

"PIPER?!" It was, of course, McGonagall. "WHERE ARE YOU? I KNOW YOU'RE I HERE. IS SHE?" Then, the voice of Myrtle replied smoothly. "No. I haven't seen her. Why? What happened?" Piper smiled at the ease of which Myrtle lied. "Are you sure?" She could imagine the Professor raising one eyebrow. "Yes ma'am", and, to add a touch of realism, she burst into sobs. "I haven't seen her in weeks! Maybe she doesn't like me anymore!" "Stop, stop, calm down dear. You do know, when we find her, she'll be in big trouble if we know that she was hiding from us, _purposefully." _She paused. "In other words, if you know where she is, tell us now."

'No, no, please don't give me away' Piper thought, squeezing her eyes shut and preparing for what Myrtle would say next.

"I'm sorry Professor, but I don't know where she is". She heard the door open and close and footsteps fade away. Then, she opened the closet and beamed at Myrtle. "Don't think that this means I've forgiven you", she said, but as she turned away Piper saw a smile.

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading, if you would like to leave a review that would be great! I think my chapters are getting better, what do you think? Please give me any of your thoughts! Bye -Eliza**


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